The Forest Floor: Paintings by Lucy Martin
The Forest Floor: Paintings by Lucy Martin
October 2024 – January 2025
The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture presents The Forest Floor, an exhibition of paintings in gouache and watercolor by Lucy Martin. Please join us for the artist reception on Saturday, October 12 from 3-5pm.
“My close observations of nature awaken an awareness that there are myriad tiny worlds to be discovered right at our feet, if we only stop and look.”
Paintings by Lucy Martin
Artists’ Statement – Inspired by Nature
My paintings reflect my lifelong deep connection with nature. They express my love of the beautiful and surprising life forms found in the forests I explore. My close observations of nature awaken an awareness that there are myriad tiny worlds to be discovered right at our feet, if we only stop and look.
My botanical art has evolved to focus on the amazing diversity of fungi and lichens. I often show my subjects in their natural environment rather than as isolated specimens, as in more traditional Botanical Art. This reflects the ways in which these life forms are deeply interconnected with all the life around them. My paintings may be seen as small landscapes, glimpses of the hidden life of the forest.
A new painting begins with a walk in nature. I collect my subjects and their surroundings—fungi, lichen, moss, fir cones, bark, decaying leaves, twigs—and bring them to my studio. I paint from life as much as possible. I use photographs as reference for a background, or for objects such as a mossy tree trunk that are too large to bring home. I paint mainly in gouache, with the addition of watercolor and occasionally a little colored pencil. The qualities of gouache and my technique of layering the paint create vivid colors and a sense of density and depth.
I live in Santa Rosa. I exhibit in Sebastopol Gallery and Calabi Gallery. My work has been shown many times in international shows of the American Society of Botanical Artists, where I have won several awards, including Best in Show in 2021. I have had two previous solo shows at the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture. My work was selected for the deYoung Open in 2020 and 2023.
Visit the Library
No admission is required to visit the new art exhibit in the Library. The Library is located inside the Main Gate of San Francisco Botanical Garden on the left-hand side.
